Roger Sharpe is a legendary pinball figure and designer most famous for demonstrating pinball as a game of skill in a 1976 testimony to the NYC Council, which led to the legalization of pinball machines. He is a game designer (co-designer of Barracora), licensing consultant, pinball historian, and author who has been instrumental in the pinball industry's development. He is the father of Josh and Zach Sharp, and remains an active and respected voice in the community, appearing at major events like Pinball Expo and serving as a judge for industry awards.
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If Roger Sharp had not made his famous court shot, the pinball industry and modern community would not exist in its current form
Roger Sharp made a commemorative shot at the Pinball Capital opening
Roger Sharp recreated his famous shot at Pinball Capital's opening in Stone Park, Illinois
If Roger Sharp had not made his famous shot, pinball might not exist as a legal game today
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Roger Sharp believes one of the major issues in modern pinball is that players lose sight of the ball; exit paths are more critical than entry points
Roger Sharp has been approached about reissuing his pinball book
Roger Sharp may attend Pinball at the Beach in St. Petersburg, Florida (February 6-8)
Roger Sharp intends to attend Chicago Expo and has scheduled multiple domestic and overseas appearance commitments
Roger Sharp's book about pinball industry may be re-released; Sharp stated he uncovered a stash of copies
Roger Sharp's father died at age 52, which influenced his perspective on lifespan expectations
Roger Sharp never lived his life with regrets (would have, should have, could have)
Mike Stroll offered Roger Sharp a vice president position at Williams in 1980
Roger Sharp and Harry Williams came close to designing multiple games together for Brunswick's home machine line but the project 'faltered'
Roger Sharp's movie 'The Man Who Saved Pinball' (2022) includes interviews with Harry Williams discussing his career
Early pinball designers treated game history as 'disposable' and did not deliberately build upon or reference earlier games
IFPA founder Roger Sharp agrees that tournaments should use timed formats instead of full game play
Roger Sharp was a guest on Special When Lit around episodes 50-60 and met in person with Ken and Bill at Jamesons restaurant
Roger Sharp proved in 1976 before the New York City Council that pinball was a game of skill rather than luck, resulting in lifting the NYC ban.
Roger Sharp helped lift pinball bans in the 1970s by proving pinball was a game of skill
Roger Sharp wrote the introduction to the book
A biographical film about Roger Sharp and pinball is in development
The biggest hurdle for most people is that they think the ball is not controllable
Pinball was based on skill, not on chance
Players can accomplish things they've never accomplished before through controlled flipper play
'Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game' biopic begins production in October with Joel Courtney and Crystal Reed as leads
Roger Sharp argued before the New York City legislature that pinball was a game of skill, making it legal
Roger Sharp stated on Super Awesome Pinball Show that Joe Kamenkal is getting the Harry Potter pinball license
Stranger Things was a strong licensing property but failed to reach the core pinball buyer demographic
Harry Potter as a pinball license represents a larger licensing challenge than Star Wars due to greater brand control
Standard pinball licensing agreements are typically three-year contracts with possible extensions based on product success
A biopic of Roger Sharp is in early development with multiple production companies
Roger Sharp and Steve Epstein founded IFPA competitive pinball structure together
Pinball Expo's top four finishers last year were all under age 20
Roger Sharp was 14 years old when he started in the pinball business; Addams Family released in 1992
Roger Sharp stated that Barracuda was originally intended to be called Las Vegas
Steve Epstein and Roger Sharp were best friends for 45 years
Roger Sharp helped with Hot Wheels IP licensing negotiations
Roger Sharp proved that pinball was a game of skill, overturning the NYC ban and fundamentally changing Broadway Arcade's business model and success.
Keith Owen was previously unknown to Roger Sharp but demonstrates strong knowledge of pinball design principles
Global reach and service infrastructure require regional distributors rather than direct international shipping
Roger Sharp provided input and guidance on the Attack from Mars remake
Traditional coin-op distributor networks have consistently failed when attempting direct-to-consumer sales models historically
Roger Sharp has shaved his iconic mustache multiple times over the years, not just recently
Roger Sharp prevented pinball from being completely banned in New York City in 1976 by demonstrating it as a skill game
Roger Sharp testified in a Cincinnati court case that established pinball as a game of skill to legalize free play in Ohio
Roger Sharp testified before NYC Council in 1976 and demonstrated pinball as a game of skill, leading to legalization
Roger Sharp has been involved in pinball for approximately 40 years, wrote a book on pinball, testified in New York to help legalize pinball, designed games, and is recognized as a skilled player